The Region 6A third-seeded Collinwood Trojans made the long haul from Wayne County to renew an old rivalry with the Region 5A second-seeded Cornersville Bulldogs on a cold night at Frog Bottom in the opening round of the TSSAA Class A playoffs Friday night.

Cornersville’s Brady Calahan rushed for 104 yards and the Bulldogs turned back the Trojans 31-10 to advance to the second round of the playoffs.

Both teams were appearing in their fourth consecutive TSSAA opening round playoff games with Collinwood hoping to break a three-game playoff losing streak and Cornersville seeking to extend their season, as the 2017 and 2018 teams did, and reach the 1A Championship game at Cookeville.

The Trojans and Bulldogs last played in 2016, a game in which Collinwood converted a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter to win 8-7.

Collinwood won the coin toss, deferring to the second half and the Trojans’ female kicker Gabriela Ubieta pooch kicked the ball to the Bulldogs’ 46-yard line where Tanner Edwards fell on it.

The Bulldogs went to work on the ground with Brady Calahan, Cason Warner, Alex Hillard, Wes Calahan, and Rhett Woodard, each taking turns pounding the Trojans’ line.

Woodard picked up five yards on a crucial fourth-and-one to extend the 12-play drive and Jackson Williams finished the drive off with a 25-yard field goal to put the Bulldogs up 3-0 at the 5:56 mark of the first quarter.

Collinwood’s first possession was brief as the Bulldogs’ defensive unit forced a three-and-out and on fourth-and-seven the punt by Peyton Ward only went to the Trojan 44-yard line.

Back in business, Warner burst up the middle on second-and-10 and rambled down to the Trojans’ 25-yard line.

The drive stalled after a short run and two incompletions brought up a fourth-and-eight, but Williams’ field goal attempt was wide right and the Bulldogs’ lead remained at 3-0.

The Trojans second possession was just as short as their first as the Bulldog defense featuring Woodard, Trenton Posey, Tracy Wood, and Devon Massengill, stopped the Collinwood running game and as the quarter ended the visitors faced a fourth-and-five at their own 25-yard line.

The second quarter began with a Collinwood punt and the Bulldogs took over on another short kick at the Trojans’ 37-yard line.

Hillard ran for eight yards then Warner got loose and carried the ball to the Collinwood 11-yard line before Brady Calahan finished the drive off with a seven-yard run.

Williams' PAT kick was off the mark and the Bulldog lead stood at 9-0 at the 10:06 mark of the second quarter.

The Trojans took the kickoff and this time started moving the ball from their own 42-yard line.

On first down, quarterback Dayton Scott threw a long pass to wide receiver Dalton Chastain and Bulldog cornerback Jackson Mitchell made a touchdown saving tackle at the Cornersville 19-yard line.

The Trojans made a first down on another Scott to Chastain completion that took the ball to the Bulldog eight before Alex Haddock ran for a first down on a third-and-two.

On fourth-and-goal, Ubieta kicked a 25-yard field goal to put Collinwood on the board and the score was now Cornersville 9, Collinwood 3 at the 6:22 mark of the second quarter.

Cornersville fielded the short kickoff at their own 47-yard line, but despite an unsportsmanlike penalty on the Trojans, the Bulldogs could not move the ball and on fourth down, Cameron Estes punted the ball to the Collinwood 8-yard line.

The Trojans were stopped and Ward punted a short kick once again with the Bulldogs taking over on the Collinwood 35-yard line.

Brady Calahan gained 12 on a first down run, but on the next play Jackson Farler’s pass was intercepted in the end zone by Chastain for a touchback.

The Trojans could not move the ball and the first half ended with the ballgame still up for grabs with Cornersville leading 9-3.

Collinwood, having deferred to the second half, took the kickoff and began play at their own 30-yard line.

On third-and-five the Bulldogs were guilty of a late hit and the Trojans were given the ball at midfield with a first down.

Haddock became the workhorse as he moved the ball on successive runs to the Bulldogs’ 40-yard line, but on second-and-10 the ball was jarred loose by Estes and Devon Baus with Baus getting the recovery.

“We had really good practices all week and concentrated on doing our job and we went out tonight and did it,” Baus said.

Two weeks ago, Baus had to leave the game after hip problems, took a week off and came back strong.

Starting at their own 32-yard line, the Bulldogs began their running attack by committee as Brady Calahan, Warner, and Hillard ran by, over and through the Trojan defenders to move the ball to the 23-yard line.

Farler gained the corner on the left side, ran the sidelines, and then cut across the field, finding a seam to outrun the Trojan defenders for a 23-yard TD.

Williams’ PAT pushed the Bulldogs’ lead to 16-3 at the halfway mark of the third quarter.

A pass interference call against the Bulldogs on first down gave Collinwood the ball at the Bulldogs’ 33-yard line where they went to work quickly as Scott found Ward on second-and-six down the middle for a 27-yard gain to the Cornersville six-yard line with Mitchell again making the stop.

Haddock ran it to the three and Scott bulled it over for the touchdown and with Ubieta’s PAT good the Trojans trailed 16-10 with 10 seconds left in the third quarter.

Hillard, using his speed, romped to the Trojan 17-yard line with the ensuing kickoff as the quarter expired.

The fourth quarter saw Cornersville begin to force their will on their opponent as they have done for much of the season.

The Bulldog trio of Brady Calahan, Hillard, and Warner pounded the Trojan defense with Warner carrying the rock home for the TD and then ran the two-point conversion over to increase the Cornersville lead to 24-10.

The fired up Bulldog defense shut the Trojans down and Collinwood was forced to go on fourth-and-eight, but Scott’s pass was broken up by Estes and the Bulldogs took over at their own 48-yard line.

“The defensive line and the secondary came out explosive tonight,” Brady Calahan said. “The previous week’s practice was so intense, unlike any we have had before, and I think it carried over and everybody did their job.”

Using the rushing trio again of Calahan, Hillard, and Warner the Bulldogs moved the ball to the nine-yard line where Hillard weaved his way to a touchdown at the 4:04 mark of the fourth quarter and with the PAT kick by Williams finding the mark the Bulldogs now led 31-10.

“We had different people score and I have to give that to Coach (Gerard) Randolph, he’s doing a good job coaching and spreading the ball around to other people,” Brady Calahan said. “That makes it tricky for the other team.”

Randolph echoed Calahan’s words when he said, “We made adjustments and it’s always good to have different players contribute. They had some pass completions that I know we’ll have to work on.”

The score held up as Cornersville (8-3) advanced to the second round for the third year in a row and travel to top-seeded and undefeated Huntingdon (11-0) for the third year in a row to take on a familiar Mustangs foe.

Huntingdon is 35-2 over the last three seasons with both losses coming at the hands of the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs knocked Huntingdon out of the playoffs two seasons in a row, garnering a 21-20 double overtime win at Cornersville in 2017 and an excruciating 13-7 setback last year in Carroll County via a Henlee Mitchell game-winning two-yard touchdown pass to Peyton Finch with 17 seconds left in the contest.

Collinwood 0 3 7 0-10

Cornersville 3 6 7 15-31

Scoring Plays

First Quarter

Cornersville-Jackson Williams 25-yard FG, 5:56.

Second Quarter

Cornersville-Brady Calahan 9-yard run, Jackson Williams PAT NG, 10:06.

Collinwood- Gabriela Ubieta 25-yard FG, 6:22.

Third Quarter

Cornersville-Jackson Farler 23-yard run, Jackson Williams PAT, 4:16.

Collingwood-Dayton Scott 3-yard run, Gabriela Ubieta PAT, 0:10.

Fourth Quarter

Cornersville-Cason Warner 8-yard run, Cason Warner two-point run, 10:33.

Cornersville-Alex Hillard 3-yard run, Jackson Williams PAT, 4:04.

Total Offense: Collinwood 230, Cornersville 275.

Rushing: Collinwood 41, Cornersville 275.

Passing: Collinwood 189, Cornersville 0.

First Downs: Collinwood 13, Cornersville 16.

Penalties: Collinwood 3-35, Cornersville 5-50.

Turnovers: Collinwood 1, Cornersville 1.

Cornersville Offense:

Rushing: Brady Calahan 14-104-TD, Cason Warner 14-89-TD, Alex Hillard 7-56-TD, J Farler 2-22-TD, Wes Calahan 1-1, Rhett Woodard 1-3.

Passing: Jackson Farler 0-5-0-1 INT.

Kicking

PAT: Jackson Williams 1-2.

Field Goals: Jackson Williams 1-1-25.

Returns

Punts: Cameron Estes 1-25.

Returns

Kickoffs: Alex Hillard 1-33, Tanner Edwards 1-0, Cameron Estes 1-0.

Punts: Brady Calahan 1-8.

Defense:

Tackles: Devon Baus 6 (.5 TFL, FUM REC), Devon Massengill 5 (1,5 TFL), Rhett Woodard 4.5 (2 TFL), Jackson Mitchell 4.5, Trenton Posey 3, Wes Calahan 2.5, Alex Hillard 2, Tracy Wood 2, Cameron Estes 2, J.C. Spray 1, Hunter Fitzgerald 1, Mason Calahan .5, Michael Bungay .5.